Press Release: Elmhurst Ballet School presents its summer shows in 2018 SUMMER CREATIONS – An Evening of New Work

[Jan McNulty]

 

Elmhurst Ballet School presents its summer shows in 2018

 

SUMMER CREATIONS – An Evening of New Work

 

• Choreographers from across ballet, contemporary and jazz create new dance work for students
• Alexander Whitley, Stéphen Delattre, Laura Vanhulle, Zak Nemorin among choreographer line-up
• Ballet, Contemporary, Character, Jazz, Flamenco dance styles showcase Elmhurst students

 

 

Media release: Monday 4^th June 2018 – Today, Elmhurst Ballet School, the associate school of Birmingham Royal Ballet, announces details of its popular annual summer shows. Between 6^th and 13^th July 2018, ‘Summer Creations – An Evening of New Work’ will showcase an ambitious programme of new commissions and world premieres by highly sought after choreographers, the school’s artistic staff and prize winning students.

 

Elmhurst Ballet School is a world-renowned centre of excellence and prepares talented young dancers aged between 11 and 19 to become the thinking dance professionals of the future. The diverse programme of Lower, Upper and Whole School Summer Creations performances, presented in Elmhurst’s studio theatre in Edgbaston, Birmingham, is the perfect opportunity to watch the dance stars of the future performing classical ballet to cutting edge contemporary work by an exciting array of dance makers.

 

The Upper School shows will include a new contemporary dance piece by critically acclaimed choreographer Alexander Whitley. Having created work for several of the UK's leading companies including Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Royal Ballet, Rambert, Balletboyz and Candoco, it’s a coup for the school to have this Sadler’s Wells’ New Wave Associate Artist and Rambert Associate creating work for students. Danced by the graduates, it will mark the final year students’ last performance at Elmhurst before they take up positions in dance companies across the world.

 

Also choreographing for Summer Creations Upper School shows is French-born, Germany-based modern dance choreographer Stéphen Delattre. He makes a welcome return to Elmhurst after creating work for last year’s summer shows. Zak Nemorin is a performer with many West End shows to his name. Also a teacher & filmmaker, it is with his choreographer’s hat on that he creates a jazz piece for the 2018 graduates. Brogan McKelvey, an Elmhurst graduate of 2017, Artist of Birmingham Royal Ballet (2017 – 18) and independent choreographer, will highlight the talent and versatility of Elmhurst-trained dancers, past and present, by creating a classical ballet inspired piece for the current Upper School students.

 

Flamenco Edition producer and teacher Ana Garcia, and Gloria Grigolato, Michael Ho, Silvia Jimenez, Hannah Lockyer, Tania Matos, Errol Pickford and Lei Zhao, and student Lorena Hardwick (Upper School Choreographic Awards winner), complete the Upper School show’s choreographic line-up.

 

For the Lower School students and shows, Birmingham based Laura Vanhulle, artistic director of Vanhulle Dance Theatre, creates a contemporary dance synonymous with her unique and dynamic choreographic style – a fusion of salsa, Kathak (Indian classical dance), African dance, gymnastics and yoga.  Vanhulle was one of three recipients to be awarded Dance Hub Birmingham’s first artistic commissions and bursaries in 2017. The support enabled Vanhulle to attend the Women in Dance Leadership Conference in the USA earlier this year.

 

Ballet, Jazz, Character, Contemporary and Flamenco give additional dance flavours to the Lower School performances as Elmhurst’s artistic staff Ana Garcia, Laura Green, Gloria Grigolato, Jim Grundy, Silvia Jimenez, Nicky Linzie, Jenny MacNamara, Sarah Moore, Lee Robinson, Andrea Tredinnick and Denise Whiteman, and student Olivia Chang-Clarke (Lower School Choreographic Awards winner) create a range of new dance works for the younger students aged between 11 and 16.

Some of the Elmhurst Young Dancers from the school’s weekend classes will perform during the Lower School shows on Sunday 8^th July at 2pm.

 

The Whole School come together for three performances during the run of shows, giving audiences an opportunity to see work by the majority of choreographers including Alexander Whitley, Stéphen Delattre, Laura Vanhulle and Zak Nemorin.

 

-ENDS-

 

Elmhurst Ballet School presents ‘Summer Creations – An Evening of New Work’ listings information:

#SummerCreationsDance

Friday 6^th July at 7pm – LOWER SCHOOL

Saturday 7^th July at 2pm – LOWER SCHOOL

Saturday 7^th July at 7pm – UPPER SCHOOL

Sunday 8^th at 2pm – LOWER SCHOOL plus ELMHURST YOUNG DANCERS

Sunday 8^th July at 7pm – UPPER SCHOOL

Tuesday 10^th July at 7pm – WHOLE SCHOOL (PRESS NIGHT PERFORMANCE)

Thursday 12^th July at 7pm – WHOLE SCHOOL (GALA EVENING – DETAILS TO BE ANNOUNCED)

Friday 13^th July at 2.30pm – WHOLE SCHOOL

 

Tickets: https://elmhurstballetschool.eventbrite.co.uk/

 

All performances take place in Elmhurst Ballet School’s studio theatre, 249 Bristol Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B5 7UH

Running times for all performances is approximately 2 hours (includes one interval)

 

Founded in 1923, Elmhurst Ballet School is the oldest vocational dance school in the UK.

 

It is a world-renowned centre of excellence in association with Birmingham Royal Ballet to prepare talented young dancers aged between 11 and 19 to become the thinking dance professionals of the future.

 

The school nurtures individuality through a holistic approach to training, education and health, which helps students to become independent, collaborative and versatile artists, ready to take their places on the world stage. Elmhurst’s dance training is of the highest quality and is delivered by current and former dance professionals. It is enhanced by opportunities to work with Birmingham Royal Ballet, visiting choreographers and dance artists.

 

The academic team encourages and motivates students to achieve their educational potential, providing a balanced experience that will equip students with the skills, resilience and creativity to make their mark on the professional dance world and beyond.  Elmhurst Ballet School offers a strong academic education to complement and enrich vocational dance training, and to help develop well-rounded and versatile graduate students. Dance careers can be cut short by injury, or a change in aspiration and in these cases, academic education is invaluable.

 

Elmhurst believes that talent is classless and that elite ballet education should be available to young people, regardless of their financial background. UK students could be eligible for Government assistance, and bursaries and scholarships are available, assessed on merit and talent.

 

State-of-the-art facilities include seven professional dance studios, a fully equipped gym, sixth form common room, modern boarding accommodation, exceptional in-house catering, multi-use games area and a 240-seat studio theatre which enables professional performance opportunities and experience on-site.

 

Set in Edgbaston, a short distance from Birmingham’s young and vibrant centre and excellent transport links, gives students easy access to a range of arts, cultural and leisure activities including Birmingham Hippodrome (the home of Birmingham Royal Ballet), DanceXchange, Library of Birmingham, Town Hall & Symphony Hall, Birmingham Museum and Art Galleries and many more.

 

Training to become an elite ballet dancer is physically and emotionally demanding, so Elmhurst takes a unique approach to health and wellbeing, founded on close working relationships across the school. This approach enables students to access a range of health services including: nurses; doctors; physiotherapy; nutrition advice; pastoral care and counselling; dance psychology; strength and conditioning; and performance enhancement coaching.

 

Elmhurst is the only UK ballet school at the forefront of research in dance science. Using evidence based research, Elmhurst is pioneering ways for dancers to avoid injury by introducing ground-breaking fitness and rehabilitation techniques into their daily routine and training. In collaboration with experts at University of Wolverhampton and in association with Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Clinical Director, these pioneering additions to dancers’ lives are already making positive outcomes for its students.

 

www.elmhurstdance.co.uk

 

Twitter: @elmhurstdance // Instagram: @elmhurstballetschool // Facebook: Elmhurst Ballet School

 

#SummerCreationsDance #YourPlaceForDance

 

Photo credit: Left to Right: Ellie Hennequin, James Lovell, Emilia Rouanet Feliu, Amy Turner-Daly & Samuel Parham in

‘Ask Yourself’ by Stéphen Delattre. Photography by Andy Ross